Things You'll Need:
- Bird watching guide
- A spotting scope or binoculars
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Notebook
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Step 1
Start your Colorado bird watching by following the Colorado Birding Trail (see below). The trails can be found in the Eastern Plains, the Rocky Mountains and Western Colorado. Colorado birding experts designed these trails and have compiled not only species lists but also maps and site specific information for every geographic location along the specific birding trail.
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Step 2
Check out the materials available from Colorado County Birding (see below) for a county by county guide to birding in Colorado. This group provides Colorado bird watchers with an extensive collection of bird checklists and site specific information. Whether bird watchers want information on Cerulean Warblers in Rio Grande County or the best sites for viewing the Greater Roadrunner, this organization has what birders are looking for.
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Step 3
Enjoy Colorado's scenic areas at the many national parks and natural areas throughout the state and experience some great bird watching. High-country birding is at its best in Rocky Mountain National Park. Start near Estes Park and find some of the high country's songbirds waiting along the various trails in the area. Birders can encounter some of the region's special species such as Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Pygmy-Owl and the Northern Goshawk.
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Step 4
Listen to the experts at the Colorado Bird Observatory if birders are amateur ornithologists or just want to understand the scientific basis for bird species protection and habitat management. The Colorado Bird Observatory is affiliated with the Colorado Partners in Flight, government agencies and others. It provides information to federal and state lawmakers concerning methods for species assessments, bird conservation reports and public education.
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Step 5
Print out species checklists, maps and other identifying guides. Colorado is a mountainous state, so visitors should acclimate to the altitude before heading out for a day of Rocky Mountain bird watching.
